Fulling mill



1943- t w. J. SIMONDS 2,307,167

FULLING MILL .Filed Dec. 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jam. 5, 1943. w. J. SIMONDS I 2,307,167

FULLING MILL Fil ed Dec. 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES P OFFICE Rodney Hunt Machine Company, Orange,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 1, 1941, Serial No. 421,105

10 Claims.

This invention relates to fulling mills and more particularly to an improved construction in throat plates or guides which engage and compress the cloth, as it passes in a string through the mill, just, prior to the action of the main fulling rolls.

The objects of the invention include the provision of adjustable throat plates or guides which are mounted on the usual packing box instead of on the main frame of the fulling machine 1.

as heretofore; the provision of throat plates or guides for a fulling mill which are adapted to be mounted on the packing boxes of existing machines or of new machines, the arrangement and construction of these throat plates being simplified over prior art devices, inexpensive to manufacture, and capable of being mounted on the packing box of any already existing fulling mill.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a pair of vertical throat plates or' guides for each set of fulling mill rolls, the plates or guides being easily installed in the machine and being easy to adjust for various degrees of shrinking and fulling of the goods.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the fullin'g rolls and packing box of a conventional fulling mill, showing the throat plates mounted on the packing box according to one of the forms contemplated by the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of construction;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 4

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing modification; and

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 6.

The conventional fulling mill comprises an enclosed housing having mounted therein pairs of fulling rolls for squeezing cloth passing between the rolls so as to compress the same in a still further a vertical direction, and a packing box located.

-';A"pair'of "spaced throat plates'or guideslocated in vertical planes may be arranged immediately in front of the fulling rolls for the purpose of providing a squeeze in a horizontal direction for a fulling action on the cloth immediately prior to the squeeze of the main fulling rolls. These throat plates are ordinarily arranged on the main frame of the mill and may be adjustable to and from each other to vary their fulling action according to the degree of shrinkage desired and to the amount of cloth passing therebetween.

In the present case the character H) indicates the housing of the fulling mill which completely incloses the entire fulling mechanism for the purpose of retaining steam or other heat within the casing. A front roller [2 is mounted at the front of the machine for the purpose of guiding the cloth string from the bottom of the machine upwards and into the rolls Hi in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Rolls M are the usual squeeze fulling rolls which are driven in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 by conventional mechanism not here shown. It will be seen that the rolls apply a squeezing action on the cloth in a Vertical direction as it passes between the rolls into the packing box IE mounted on a support l8, the latter being secured in the side walls of the machine. a cover 20 for packing the cloth in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The side walls of the packing box are here shown as extended forwardly to a position in front of the roll shafts 22, and a hinge pintle 24 is arranged in any desired or conventional hinge brackets so that a pintle is vertically arranged on the outside surfaces of both sides of the packing box. Levers 26 are swingingly mounted on the hinge pintles 24, and these levers extend forwardly past the forward end of the packing box side walls terminating in inwardly directed integral angle elements 28. A throat plate or guide 30 is secured to or made integral with the free ends of the angle elements 28 and these plates or guides are located generally normal thereto so that the throat plates are vertically arranged. These throat plates are provided with rearwardly extending, generally V-shaped projections 32 which are curved concavely to follow the outline of the fulling rolls I4, as is shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of laterally engaging and squeezing the cloth immediately prior to the entry thereof between the fulling rolls; and it will be seen that the throat plates 30 will laterally squeeze the cloth in a generally vertical plane just before the horizontal squeeze applied to the cloth-by the fulling rolls.

The packing box is provided with Throat plates are swingingly mounted on pintles 24 for the purpose of adjustment to and from each other to vary the squeezing action on the cloth so as to obtain a greater or less shrinkage or fulling as desired and to permit the fulling mill to accommodate various types, thicknesses and widths of cloth. If it is desired to impart a greater shrinkage, or to process a narrower piece of goods, the throat plates are swung towards each other, for instance into the dotted line showing in Fig. 2.

Any desired or convenient means may be employed for adjusting the throat plates and for holding them in an adjusted position. One mechanism for accomplishing this resides in the provision of rotatable shafts extending transversely through the throat plates and having right and left hand screw threads therein for engagement with the plates. A different form is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and this comprises a lever arm 34 rigidly attached to each throat plate for individually swinging the throat plates about their hinge pintles. A notched bar or rack 36 may be provided on the housing H] for positive latching of levers 34 in adjusted position, the levers extending through slots 33 in housing l 0 for outside manipulation of the levers. It is to be understood, however, that the particular means here shown for adjusting and latching the throat plates is but one form of mechanism which may be used to accomplish the purpose described.

It will be seen that the above described throat plate are simply and easily mounted on the packing box side walls and therefore these throat plates may be applied to any existing fulling mill in a very simple and convenient manner, while still accomplishing the normal purpose of the conventional throat plates.

Fig. 3 discloses a modification of the pivoted throat plates wherein packing box side walls 40 are extended substantially forwardly of fulling rolls M. In this case hinge pintles 42 are mounted at the extreme forward ends of the packing box side walls and swingingly mount the throat plates 44 between the packing box side walls.

Throat plates 44 are the same in outline as throat plates 39 and also have rigidly mounted thereon handle levers 45 which may be arranged in the same manner as levers 34 in Figs. 1 and 2 to accomplish the same purpose. It will be seen that throat plates 48 may be swung to and from dotted line position in Fig. 3 for the purpose of imparting additional squeezing action to the cloth just as it is about to pass between the fulling rolls.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a further modification of the throat plate supports as contemplated in the present invention. Packing box walls 48, in this case, extend forwardly of the fulling rolls I4 in a manner similar to the packing box walls 40 of Fig. 3. In Figs. 4 and 5, however, rods 50 are mounted between packing box walls 48 to slidably mount throat plates 52 laterally of the packing box. These throat plates are similar in outline to that shown in Fig. 1 for the same purpose, and any desired means may be utilized to mutually adjust throat plates 52' to and from each other for the purpose described. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a pivoted link 54 is mounted to swing on the inside wall of each throat plate and a connecting line 55 is pivotally mounted on a pin 58 on a rod 5%. A handle 60 is pivoted to plate 56 to form a connection thereto in the manner shown in Fig. 4, this handle passing through a slot 62 in housing I0, and it may be provided with some latching means as for 7,

instance projection 64 for reception in notches 66 in a locking rack 68 mounted on the housing. A spring 10 may be used to retain handle 60 in its adjusted position, and it will be seen that by longitudinally moving handle 60 to the left the plates 52 will be adjusted towards each other and by moving handle 6 to the right the throat plates will be separated. Again it is to be understood that any other desired or convenient means may be used to adjust throat plates 52 without departing from the scope of the invention.

Figs. 6 and 7 disclose a still further modification of the present invention wherein packing box side walls 12 do not extend as far forwardly as walls 48. In this case brackets 14 are secured to the packing box side walls 12, extending forwardly thereof and mounting a pair of rods 16 therebetween, rods 16 being parallel to the fulling roll shafts as also are rods 50, Fig. 4. In this case throat plates 78 are slidably mounted on rod 16 for mutual lateral adjustment thereof and Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate that one or both of the rods 16 may be supplied with light and left hand screw threads 80 so that when a rod 76 is rotated throat plates 18 may be mutually adjusted to and from each other for the purpose described. Brackets 14 may be adjusted relative to the packing box.

It'will be seen from the above description that this invention provides for a pair of vertically arranged mutually adjustable fulling throat plates or guides immediately forwardly of the conventional fulling rolls, these throat plates being mounted in a simple and convenient manner on the packing box side walls of the fulling mill. Each one of the constructions above described provides for the avoidance of the necessity of relatively complicated and expensive permanent supports as used hitherto in fulling mills for mounting throat plates directly on the machine walls, and therefore it will be appreciated that any of the throat plates of the present invention may be easily mounted on an existing fulling mill to accomplish the vertical fulling action which is necessary for the desired correct lateral shrinkage and fulling. Heretofore the throat plates in fulling mills have always been mounted on a separate and independent framework which is not only more expensive and embodies a heavier construction but requires additional supports on the sides of the machine, and it will be seen that this invention obviates such frameworks and supports and provides a very simple and convenient adjustable throat plate mounting means which is connectibleto the fulling mill at the front end of the packing box, the latter being a necessary part of every fulling mill.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what Iv claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a pair of fulling rolls, a packing box at the rear of the rolls, said packing box having spaced vertical side walls, a pair of throat plates in advance of said rolls and mounted on said packing box side walls and arranged in relative spaced relation in generally vertical planes, said throat plates being adjustable to and from each other, and means to so adjust said throat plates.

2. In a fulling mill the combination of a pair of rotatable fulling rolls, a packing box located to one side of said rolls adjacent thereto, said packing box having a pair of spaced side-walls located closely adjacent to the sides of the rolls; with a pair of vertical and horizontally spaced throat plates, means on said packing box walls mounting said throat plates at the opposite side of the rolls for horizontal adjustment to and from each other, said throat plates having rearwardly extending projections closely approaching the peripheries of said rolls.

3. A fulling mill comprising a pair of spaced shafts, a fulling roll on each shaft, said rolls adapted to be rotated to squeeze and drive a cloth string towards the rear of the mill, a packing box located to the rear of the rolls and having side walls extending forwardly substantially between said shafts, a support mounted on each side wall adjacent the forward end thereof, and a pair of vertically arranged throat plates mounted on said supports, said throat plates being located forwardly of said rolls, and means adapted to horizontally adjust said throat plates to and from each other longitudinally of the roll shafts.

4. In a fulling mill having a pair of rolls adapted to rotate to pass material therebetween and a packing box located adjacent said rolls to the rear thereof, said packing box having portions extending into th area of said rolls; that improvement which comprises a pair of cloth guiding plates arranged forwardly of the rolls, said plates being located generally normal to the roll axes, means mounting said plates on said packing box portions, and means to mutually adjust said plates.

5. For use in a fulling mill having a pair of fulling rolls and a packing box having side walls located adjacent the rolls to receive cloth therefrom; that improvement which comprises the provision of a cloth guiding and fulling plate adapted to' be mounted on one of said packing box side walls in a position substantially normal to the axes of the fulling rolls, and a second plate adapted to be cooperatively mounted with respect to the first named plate, said plates being adapted to guide and squeeze cloth passing therebetween just prior to its entry into said fulling rolls.

6. For use in a fulling mill having a pair of fulling rolls adapted to pass material therebetween in a predetermined direction, a packing box generally located to one side of said rolls and having side walls extending into the area of the rolls; an improvement in cloth fulling plates which comprises a pair of spaced plates adapted to be mounted at the other side of the rolls and directly on said packing box, said plates being adapted to squeeze cloth passing therebetween, the direction of squeeze being at an angle to the direction of the fulling pressure accomplished by the rolls.

7. In a fulling mill, a pair of fulling rolls, a packing box positioned to receive cloth from said rolls, the box extending forwardly into the roll area, and plates mounted on said packing box adjacent its forward end in position to guide and squeeze cloth immediately "prior to its entry between the fulling rolls, said plates being adapted to be pivoted for adjustment of portions thereof to and from each other on axes substantially normal to the fulling roll axes.

8. A fulling mill as recited in claim '7 wherein the packing box and said plates are located on opposite sides of the fulling rolls.

9. In a fulling mill, 9. pair of fulling rolls, a packing box positioned to receive cloth from said rolls, said box having side walls extending forwardly of the rolls, and plates mounted on said packing box adjacent its forwarrd end in posi- 

